


Kadan

by DGCatAniSiri



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-02
Updated: 2017-03-02
Packaged: 2018-09-27 19:33:15
Rating: ExplicitMature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10042730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DGCatAniSiri/pseuds/DGCatAniSiri
Summary: Sten calls the Warden Kadan. Kadan translates to "where the heart lies." There's no reason to think this doesn't mean Sten loves the Warden, correct?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Why has this pairing not had a serious uptick since Bull used "Kadan" as an affectionate nickname for the Inquisitor?

Aedan Cousland could feel every single one of his bones and muscles, and they all cried out in pain. Which wasn’t that unexpected. You didn’t slay an archdemon – and survive, no less – without feeling the after effects for some time, and it had only been a couple of weeks since then. The initial clean up, the task of tallying the dead and creating the mass pyres, had had to be done before any true celebration could take place. The smell of rotting corpses, human, elven, dwarven (due to the Legion of the Dead), and darkspawn alike, did nothing to make one feel like cheering.

But when the bodies had been cleared and the marketplace given enough of a semblance of order, King Alistair and Queen Anora had called for a celebration, something to praise the new heroes. Ferelden had fended off a Blight and, so the criers said, had done so on its own. That some of the number of those who had enabled that victory hailed from Orlais or Antiva or Seheron wasn’t worth mentioning, nor was the contribution of the mages, elves, and dwarves, at least not when trying to craft a legend. Alistair and Anora both had promised, however, to ensure that the sacrifices made by those who were not human, not Fereldan, or either of those would not be forgotten. With Alistair having been part of that group, Aedan hoped they could live up to that promise.

And so there had been a parade to go along with the coronation of the new king and ending of the Blight. Aedan was barely out of the grasp of the various healers, Wynne among them, and he refused to return to the infirmary where they’d fuss over him more. But he had every intention of crawling into the bed at Arl Eamon’s estate and not leave it for days.

That plan was brushed aside when he entered the room to find, of all people, Sten standing there, looking like a giant gargoyle standing guard over the bed. Aedan swore the man was more made of stone than Shale.

“Sten. Is there something you need?” he asked. 

Sten opened his mouth and hesitated, considering his words. Aedan had picked up that as one of his tells, an indication that he knew what he wanted to say but not how to say it, the common tongue of Ferelden being a secondary language for the Qunari. He waited, knowing that if Sten had come to him to say anything, it had to matter to the man.

“I... There is something I would... do. There is not a word for it in the Qun, but... You are very important to me. The Qun does not express such... feelings, but... I would share them in the ways of the... in YOUR ways. If you would accept.”

Aedan blinked, trying to parse Sten’s words. He could gather that there was something of importance for Sten to tell him, but he wasn’t sure what could be so important that he’d needed to make his way to Aedan’s room to tell him. “I... I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking, Sten.”

Sten let out a curse in the Qunari language, one Aedan knew he’d heard him use before, though he’d never gotten a translation. “Your language is... unfamiliar for me. It is hard to find the proper words.” He moved closer to Aedan, close enough that Aedan was tempted to call it intimate, as the Qunari didn’t seem to be interested in any sort of combat or conflict with him. “In your lands, there is... The Qun does not view such things as... as something that is done. Yet... You returned my sword, my soul, to me. You provided me an answer to the Arishok’s question. You sought to understand in greater detail than any of those I had met in your lands. You are more than basalit-an, an outsider worthy of respect. You are kadan to me. I do not believe you understand the word, however.”

There was an earnestness to Sten’s words, indicating that there was some meaning to that word that had slipped past Aedan. He was suddenly aware of the beating of his heart, pounding in his chest. There even seemed to be some kind of quiver to Sten’s voice, though that seemed ridiculous to even contemplate. Sten didn’t have that sort of hesitation, that kind of... 

Something started pulling itself together in Aedan’s mind. His eyes went wide at the realization of what he was suggesting. “Sten, you... You’re in love with me?”

“Your words are clumsy... but not incorrect. I feel... deep affection for you. It is not of the Qun, and yet... It is there.”

It took Aedan a moment to wrap his mind around that. He’d certainly noticed the Qunari’s physique in their time together. More than once during their travels, he’d let his gaze linger on the sculpted form when they’d passed each other on trips to the wherever they’d arranged to sleep each night. There was an alienness to his features, the indications that he was something other than human that went beyond his skin. And yet, that alienness didn’t make him unattractive. There was something to his face, a hint of... something, something that Aedan had never had the words for. A small twinkle, the only indication of when he was joking. A glimmer of some softness beneath the hard edges of what made him Qunari. Something that Aedan could certainly call hints and indications that perhaps the man he was looking at was approachable in a way he could recognize and understand.

“You... You’re saying that you are in love with me,” Aedan repeated, needing that moment to let his mind get itself fully around the concept. But, as he rolled it over in his mind, he had to admit, it wasn’t something he was entirely against.

Sten gave a solemn nod. Anyone walking into the room at that point would not have realized he’d made a declaration of love. They’d think he’d just offered some kind of military report or something of the kind. 

And yet... Aedan could see the little signs of it. There was something in Sten’s eyes. His words were as true as he could offer them – whatever his flaws were in the common trade tongue of Ferelden, the eyes were as much a window to the soul of the Qunari as they were for humans. And Aedan could see that touch of Sten’s soul, that he was truthful. An acceptance would be a dream come true, while a refusal would hurt him in ways that he could not express. 

The feeling in Aedan’s heart towards the Qunari wasn’t quite love, but he’d fought alongside him for the last year. There was a deep camaraderie there, something that could possibly be love. Maybe not yet, but... It could turn. 

Aedan made a decision. He stepped forward, moving towards Sten. “I don’t know how I feel for you Sten, but I would be... very honored to accept what you offer me.”

Sten didn’t quite smile. But Aedan had been around the Qunari for nearly a year now, and he could tell that there was a profound sense of relief in his posture. 

Figuring that, although Sten seemed more than capable of asking to make love to him, he probably didn’t know the full steps of the dance, Aedan closed the gap between them even more. Gently, he reached up to pull Sten’s face towards his own. “It’s customary to begin with a kiss...” he said, then met Sten’s lips. 

Aedan didn’t know if Sten had ever kissed or been kissed before, though, based on the Qunari’s attitude, which he’d implied to be the general approach to life of most Qunari, he doubted it. Still, Sten was definitely a quick study, mirroring Aedan’s actions at first, then placing his hands on Aedan’s waist – he was getting the hang of it. 

Aedan pulled back, amused at the look on Sten’s face, how he looked a bit lost and confused. Aedan understood it because of his inexperience with the act, but he still took that as a sign of his skill. “It gets better than that,” he said.

“That is... difficult to imagine,” Sten said, though there was a twinkle in his eyes – he wanted to be shown. And Aedan wanted to give him that opportunity.

Aedan moved for another kiss, giving Sten the opportunity to show off his growing proficiency. For someone who’d been unfamiliar with the act before now, he was a fast study. Aedan felt a tentative hand wrap around him, gently and uncertainly pressing against his back. 

Sten had big hands, Aedan realized. Not that he hadn’t seen them, obviously, but he had never felt them before, and definitely not the way that Sten was touching him. Aedan shivered in anticipation of feeling those hands without the barrier of their clothes.

Which reminded him... “Sten... Your armor...” 

It took a moment for Sten to refocus on words. When he did, he nodded. “Yes. Of course,” he said, in that way that indicated to Aedan that he’d forgotten about the fact that he was wearing heavy armor in a bedroom. 

He didn’t continue wearing it for very long, however. 

Aedan would have expected Sten to be very methodical about it, removing pieces of armor and setting them down for use later. However, it seemed he was in a bit of a hurry. Although he was still careful with the pieces he removed, as, again, HEAVY armor, they were placed on the floor almost haphazardly, with no concern for picking it up again later, with new scuffs and bumps.

Maybe Aedan had underestimated just how strongly Sten felt about this. 

Once Sten was down to a tunic, he practically tore the flimsy fabric away. Aedan took a moment to admire the Qunari’s physique – Had Sten’s arms always been so muscular, or was he just looking at them with a new and appreciative eye? He only had the moment, though, because once his shirt was gone, Sten moved back towards him and began pulling at Aedan’s own. He got the impression rather quickly that if he didn’t get the shirt off, Sten would probably rip it off. And he liked that shirt. 

Though he wasn’t enamored of it enough to make sure it was set down gently, but wrinkles in the shirt were far from his mind as Sten pulled him close again, letting him feel the firm grip of the Qunari’s grasp, pressing him against his very firm, very solid body. Sten might not be used to the whole ‘expression of love’ thing, but he was picking up on the basics very quickly.

Aedan glanced down, realizing that, with Sten having discarded his heavy plate armor, he was now down to his smallclothes. And they were definitely straining to hold their contents. 

“Maker’s breath...” he gasped. He glanced back to Sten’s face. The Qunari was inscrutable, as ever. ...And yet... there seemed to be a touch of something, affectionate bewilderment, perhaps? He was looking over Aedan, taking in the man who, while tall and well-built for a human, was still smaller than him in about every regard.

And yet, in how he looked at Aedan, it seemed that he found him to be a work of art in his own right. 

Aedan met Sten’s lips for another kiss, then began to gently move his way down the other man’s body, his lips and hands moving over every stretch of skin they could. A deep moan emerged from Sten’s throat, and a quick glance at his face said that he was lost in the passion – his eyes were squeezed shut, his head rolling back, and the way his chest was heaving... Oh he was most certainly enjoying himself.

For a moment, Aedan considered telling him to lie back on the bed, make the next part a little easier. Then he decided to just go for it, and ended up fully on his knees. He reached up and pulled down Sten’s smallclothes. 

He had to take a minute just to stare at his cock. “Qunari don’t do anything small, do they,” Aedan murmured, more to himself than to Sten. Size aside, though, a cock was a cock, and he knew how to handle it. He didn’t think that he could fit the whole thing in his mouth, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him from giving this his best effort.

He started with a long, slow, laborious lick of it, from stem to tip. The moan it elicited from Sten was positively filthy, and Aedan couldn’t help but smirk. Try and beat THAT, Zev, he thought, doubting that the notoriously ambitious and sexual elf could match getting that sound to emerge from Sten. 

Aedan wasn’t fool enough to try and take the whole thing, but he managed to get his mouth about three thirds of the way down Sten’s length, a feat he found impressed even himself. He felt Sten’s fingers reach down and, almost cautiously, as if Aedan were fragile as glass, or a dream that would vanish if he touched, raked his fingers through his hair.

The intimacy of the gesture, the gentleness of it, the trust that it meant that Sten, the fierce Qunari warrior, a man Aedan had seen tear through a pack of darkspawn as if they were made of the flimsiest of material, was touching him this softly... Aedan had gathered enough of the ways of the Qun, of the way that Sten lived his life, to recognize that this was not the way of the Qun. But he was making the effort to treat the man he called ‘kadan’ like he was the most precious thing that he’d ever seen...

Sten truly did love him. 

Aedan reached up to caress Sten’s body, his hands lingering on Sten’s nipples, hearing his hiss of indrawn breath, an indication that he liked that. Aedan set about doing what he could to give Sten the best night of passion he could. 

He let the length in his mouth slip back and forth, just to the point where Sten’s cock almost slipped out of his mouth, yet not quite. Sten’s fingers continued to thread through Aedan’s hair, even seeming to gently caress his face. He was showing so much tenderness... Aedan hadn’t known Sten was capable of it, that he would have let himself do so, given the Qun he followed so dearly.

“Kadan...” Sten moaned. He abruptly pulled Aedan up and against him, crushing their lips together in a searing kiss. Aedan didn’t even have time to register the sudden absence of Sten’s cock before it was replaced with his tongue. Not that he very much complained about it, though, as he was pressed against Sten, and knew, unquestionably, that Sten would never harm him. 

They fell backwards against the bed, Aedan landing on top of Sten, the impact doing nothing to dislodge them from each other. 

When they finally parted, Aedan leaning on his hands, which were now on either side of Sten’s head, he realized that at some point in their passion, Sten had slid off Aedan’s own smallclothes. He bucked his hips, brushing their cocks together, and was rewarding in seeing Sten’s body shiver at the touch.

He waited for the other man’s vision to come back into focus. Then he smiled at his lover. “What do you say we should do now?” Aedan asked softly, leaning in enough to tease Sten with a kiss, enjoying Sten almost unconsciously following his lips. 

“Is... Is there more to the act of... ‘love’ that you would teach me?” Sten asked softly.

Aedan realized that Sten truly was unfamiliar with the details of making love. The Qun apparently didn’t cover this. Aedan doubted that he had any familiarity to really do the physical business of making love. 

“I can show you,” Aedan said in a husky whisper. He felt Sten’s cock twitch, guessing that it was something that Sten wanted. It took a moment, but Sten nodded.

“I want... I want everything you can offer me, kadan.” It looked almost as if Sten were trying to memorize every line of Aedan’s face. “I want a memory that shall last through... everything.”

There was a significance to his statement, but Aedan didn’t know what it was. So instead, he just set about living up to that request. 

A glance around the room showed that there was a nightstand within easy reach, which was nice – Aedan really didn’t want to separate from Sten. He fumbled for the drawer, opening it up, and finding a vial within. Luck was with them, as it was a vial of massage oil. Aedan was relieved that he didn’t have to go find someone for something to use as lubricant. Leaving Sten was not something he wanted to do right now. 

He looked to Sten. “This is going to be good, Sten. I promise you.”

“I trust you, kadan.”

Aedan began the work of prepping Sten. He thought about warning him about the pain, but Sten had never complained about pain during their journey. He figured that Sten must have a high pain tolerance. Not that he particularly wanted to cause Sten pain, but... And he had a feeling that if he did warn Sten, it wouldn’t necessarily be appreciated. 

He went to work, slowing stretching Sten out. It seemed every move he made, every brush of his fingers, made Sten moan, like he’d never felt this kind of pleasure before in his life. It hurt Aedan to think that the other man had gone without feeling this good before, and he realized that he was falling pretty hard for the Qunari himself.

Finally, feeling that Sten was ready, he pushed in, going slow, but keeping his focus on the act itself. The gasp from Sten as he’d buried himself in to the hilt made Aedan smile, as he could practically see the stars that danced in Sten’s eyes. “How’s that feel?” he asked softly.

It took a moment for Sten to pull together any kind of response. “There are... no words for this,” he gasped out. Aedan would take that as a compliment.

He knew that they both wouldn’t last long. Even in trying to stretch it out, Sten was close enough to the edge that it would only be a couple of thrusts to push him over. And, while Sten had never lacked for stamina on the battlefield, here in the bedroom, overstimulation was probably not the best choice. 

When Sten came, it was with a roar that probably should have servants running to check on them. Aedan half expected a pack of guards to break down the door in the name of repelling a pack of darkspawn. But, somehow, they were left alone as Sten’s orgasm concluded. In comparison, Aedan felt his own was fairly modest.

As he pulled out of Sten, he was hit pretty much immediately with a wave of exhaustion – he’d done most of the work, after all, and it was effort he was glad to have put in. He had just enough presence of mind to reach down and grab the nearest piece of clothing - a pair of pants, he assumed Sten’s – to clean them up somewhat. Then he came to rest against Sten. 

Sten looked to him with half-open eyes. “Kadan... My heart...”

Aedan smiled and kissed Sten once more.

**Author's Note:**

> I did have an epilogue scene in mind that turned angsty, but that didn't feel in the spirit of the pure porn of the rest of this, so I cut it.


End file.
